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Saturday, April 27, 2013

THE LIFE OF A REVERT- AN EYE OPENING INTERVIEW

Alhamdulillah, I got another opportunity to interview a Muslimah and to say I learnt a lot from it is really an understatement! The interview was wonderfully insightful and it really gave me a much better understanding of the life of reverts to Islam and of polygamous marriages. Please do read this interview right up to the end, because trust me, it'll really enlighten you on so many things! While your at it, do give a follow to her lovely blog. You can check it out here: http://leavesofknowledge.blogspot.com/

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU ACCEPTED ISLAM?Journey to Jannah: I was 19. I became Muslim four months out of high school.

TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU FOUND ISLAMJourney to Jannah: As a child I was abused by the men in my mother's life, emotionally neglected by my mother, and bullied all throughout school. I became an Atheist at 7 years old (before that having gone to Sunday School from 1-6 years old when we lived in Maine). I thought that God was punishing me for some reason or that God just didn't like me and only put me on earth to be a slave for any man who happened to get into a relationship with me. I ended up becoming suicidal and depressed from 13-18 years old. I even tried running away twice as a child-once at 14 and once at 18 years old. I had briefly learned about Islam in sixth grade during our medieval unit in Social Studies when we learned about the five major religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism). I was 14 when the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon occurred and that was my second experience with hearing about Islam though of course I didn't know anything about Islam having never seen or met any before in my life. Like any other American citizen I believed what the media said about Islam-Muslims were terrorists who would kill you if you didn't submit to their religion and will. I'll be honest and say the bombing of the Twin Towers and Pentagon didn't faze me or affect me at all. I came home from school and watched a bit of it on the news-I remember it being on like every channel as I had been in Math class during the time of the Twin Towers being hit and our teachers hadn't let us watch the news or explain what was going on. I found out later that one of the planes had actually flown over OH (the state I live in) before turning to go to some destination and again that didn't faze me. Well at eighteen I was in a Yahoo chat room (back when Yahoo still had a section on their website for actual chat rooms) and met this 19 year old guy named Imran. He was from Pakistan and a Muslim. He began teaching me about Islam and even a bit about his home life and culture as he wanted to marry me but I wasn't ready for marriage at 18 and my mother wouldn't have been pleased that I had married a foreigner so I told him no and we remained friends until I got married and he informed that we would no longer be able to be friends under Islam. It hurt me having to delete all my male friends (I had some friends in Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, one in Turkey, one in GA, one in Nevada). The ones in Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey were all Muslims but it was Imran who began teaching me of Islam and I pray Allah (SWT) gives him lots of ajal for that. Imran wanted me to become Muslim so I did for him because it made him happy. But I didn't believe in the message of Islam or of Muhammad (SAW) or Allah (SWT). Later I found out from Ahmed (one of two Ahmeds in Egypt) that I had never been Muslim since I didn't believe in Allah (SWT) or Muhammad (SAW). I became Christian September 2005 though I didn't accept Christ until June 2006. At first I was happy being Christian and tried to pray every day. I actually cried because I felt that finally I had found a religion for me. But after a while I began to feel that God wasn't listening to me at all and I got a free Bible from some Mormon website. Now I had already ready the Bible (Genesis, Revelation, some of Exodus) as a child as I had a children's Bible growing up and my mother's old bible. I didn't understand how Jesus (alayhi salaam) could be God, the son of God, and the Holy Spirit but whenever I asked questions I was pretty much brushed off. I also went to church for the summer at 15 (at the order of my mother) and didn't enjoy it aside from learning how to make a lizard key chain. Well I read the ten commandments and for some reason kept reading the first commandment over and over again so it clicked in me somewhere that I was doing something wrong by worshiping Jesus (alayhi salaam) but I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong. I ended up leaving Christianity because I felt like God wasn't listening to me and began to doubt that faith. Then I became Agnostic in September 2006 and began looking at other religions. I originally looked at Hinduism and Sikhism. I found out from my research that to be a Hindu one must be born into the religion and Sikhism didn't make any sense to me due to the whole belief of reincarnation of the soul until it obtains 100% goodness. I wasn't even looking at Islam as a religion. But I slowly began researching it. I ordered a free Qur'an and some Islamic books and looked at them in my room. I had been looking up information also at school about Islam when I was supposed to be writing news articles and doing research as my last class was Freelance Journalism which was basically writing the school newspaper. Then for some reason I became Muslim. I believe it was Allah (SWT) who led me to Islam and that if it hadn't been for my abuse and bullying as a child I would never have become Muslim.

MOST REVERTS FACE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR FAMILIES ABOUT THEIR FAITH. HOW TOUGH WAS IT FOR YOU?Journey to Jannah: Being Muslim in a family that hates Islam is very tough. I still face issues to this day six years later with being the only Muslim in my family. I knew when I became Muslim that I would have to wear hijab. However I had no access to Muslims, mosques, halal food markets, halal food, or clothing stores. I had found a clothing store online that sold hijabs and other Muslim clothing but since I had quit my job at 18 years old I didn't have the money to buy anything and had quit receiving allowance at 10 years old. So when I prayed I would throw on my jacket and a hat which I would stuff my hair under and pray. Now I have no sense of direction whatsoever so I had no clue which way was east (in fact I have to depend on my husband to tell me which way to pray if we are outside). I had to hide my new religion from my mother and step father. I had also hidden when I was Christian as well as my family isn't religious and my step father doesn't believe in religion at all. I had a book called Islam in Focus. It described different prayers (the funeral prayer and how it differed if it was a child under puberty, a rain prayer, a drought prayer, the eid prayer, a ton of others I don't remember, and of course how to pray. It also had information on fasting and some other topics). Well Islam in Focus author didn't exactly explain that Sunnah was optional. It just had 2 Fard and 2 Sunnah for Fajr; 4 Sunnah, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah for Dhur; 4 Sunnah, 4 Fard for Asr; 3 Sunnah, 3 Fard for Maghreb; and 4 Sunnah, 4 Fard for Isha. So I totaled everything up and prayed like this: 4 Fajr, 10 Dhur, 8 Asr, 6 Maghreb, and 8 Isha. At first I tried to look at the DVD "Pray As You Have Seen Me Pray" and that was difficult trying to pray and look at the DVD to make sure I was doing it correctly. I also used Islam in Focus for learning how to do Wudu so I would take the book into the bathroom, lay it on the sink and try to do Wudu while looking at the book for instructions and making sure the book didn't get wet. If mom or my step father came into my room I'd rip off my hat and stop praying as I knew I'd be in trouble. Then I would go back to praying but since I had lost track of my prayers I did it all over again from the beginning. So I was often well past one prayer time and into another prayer time by the time I finished the previous prayer. If we were outside eating at a restaurant when I got home I immediately prayed whatever prayers I had missed due to being outside and then pray whatever prayer it was time for. Because praying while watching a DVD was hard I quit that and instead tried praying with Islam in Focus in my hands! I did my best to pray in Arabic which took me forever as I was trying my best to sound it out so that also was part of the reason my prayers were so long and took me well past their allotted time. Sometimes I prayed in English but it didn't make much of a difference. I had become Muslim during Ramadan. I knew only that Ramadan consisted of no food and drink during daylight so I tried to fast. That wasn't easy as I would get sick and feel like I wanted to throw up. I ended up often giving up due to being so sick that I ended up drinking soda in mid-day to keep from being sick until dinner. After I got married it was only the last few days of Ramadan so it was easier for me to fast for some reason. But even today I still get sick during the first two weeks of Ramadan and I get sick when I don't eat so fasting is very hard for me. I don't think having to fast during Ramadan is something I will ever get used to doing. Since my husband and I are forcibly separated due to Saudi laws it is hard with me being with my family. I face issues for wearing hijab, having to wear pants and long sleeve shirts outside in the spring and summer months, not being allowed to eat pork so they have to make different food for me on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, my husband and his family being bashed by my family. It isn't easy at all. They still don't know I'm not allowed to not celebrate any of these old holidays with them even though for my family it is one of the few times we see each other.

HOW DID YOU COPE WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS YOU HAD AFTER ACCEPTING ISLAM? Journey to Jannah: Well it's hard. I get very defensive and upset when my family bashes my husband's family. I confess I love my in-laws more than my own parents. My brother mocks me when I pray if I am at my mother's. When I was studying at The Ohio State University Newark, OH branch I would often cut the rest of Geography 120 during the summer quarter to pray. That was hard finding a quiet place to pray. Often I'd pray on the grass or in the Warner Center up on the second floor. After History 151 spring quarter I would go do Wudu except I hate people staring at me so I would stop wudu if someone came into the bathroom and then continue doing wudu (there is a very small Muslim student population at my old school so no room to pray and nothing set up for Wudu). I would sometimes throw my abaya on as I wanted to get used to walking around in it. Of course with a backpack on my shoulders my abaya would come up a bit above my ankles which freaked me out as I was worried I was doing something wrong. I continued wearing sweat shirts and pants so I was often hot under my abaya but I reminded myself that it's better than burning in Hell forever. If my step dad came to pick me up from school (I don't drive) I'd have to take off my hijab or else my step father wouldn't let me in his truck. So I'd have my hijab off for like an hour or two waiting for someone to get me from school. I'd also skip Art EDU in summer quarter to pray Asr prayer. I figured that prayer was more important than some stupid classes. I tried to arrange my class schedule so I could have time to pray but it's not easy with how prayer times change every few minutes every day. So to summarize I guess I just try not to get upset about the problems I face but it isn't easy. I often take my anger and frustration out on my husband but he's understanding and just tells me not to listen to them because they just want me to become non-Muslim again and go to Hell. WHAT'S THE GREATEST CHANGE YOU SEE IN YOURSELF AFTER YOU ACCEPTED ISLAM? Journey to Jannah: I feel more at peace and no longer depressed or suicidal since becoming Muslim.

ANY PARTICULAR HADITH OR QURANIC VERSE THAT REALLY INSPIRES YOU IN ANY SITUATION?Journey to Jannah: Well I really enjoy listening to Sura Maryam and Sura Yusuf. As for Hadith I don't really have a favorite. I don't really have a favorite Qur'an verse either.

BEING A REVERT, HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE "FREEDOM OF WOMEN"?Journey to Jannah: Well I think "freedom of women" is the ability to be taken seriously for your mind and not your looks. Let's face it: women are always at competition with each other. I think the majority of women dress bad to upset other women. And men don't seem to care about women's mind and just about certain assets. I think a lot of women don't realize they are being objectified and they have been brainwashed to think this is real 'freedom' so they call Muslim women and girls oppressed. I think it's hypocrisy to say Muslim women and girls are oppressed but Nuns who wear their clothing are serving God. Women are worth more than certain assets and I think that partly feminism is what distorted that viewpoint and true assets of women.

A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WEST BELIEVE THAT WOMEN IN ISLAM ARE OPPRESSED. DIDN'T THAT BOTHER YOU WHEN YOU WERE THINKING OF REVERTING TO ISLAM? Journey to Jannah: I think it is hypocrisy how women who dress in niqab or hijab are 'oppressed' but Nuns are 'serving God'. Same with if a Muslim has a beard he's a 'terrorist' but a Jew who has a beard is 'religious'. Pure ignorance on the part of the people. No that didn't bother me when I was thinking of becoming Muslim. Saving my soul was more important at the the time than going to Hell forever. It does bother me though to this day. I get stared at for wearing my hijab in public. Even have been forced to take it off twice (read my Discrimination post). I ask those who think all women are brainwashed into becoming Muslims-Have you even met a Muslim woman and talked to her about why she became Muslim? Or do you choose instead to not use your brains and believe what the media tells you? Let me say this to all who are out there: Yes there are some Muslim women who are forced to become Muslim. But if you become Muslim for your spouse than you are not a real Muslim. You have to believe in your heart and soul in Allah (SWT) as the only God and Muhammad (SAW) as the last and final messenger of Allah (SWT). Take the time to get know a Muslim woman and not believe what the media-who has their own agenda against Islam-says about Islam. The only way to know a people is to get to know those people for yourself and you can only do that by going out and meeting them and talking to them.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO COPE WITH HATE TOWARDS ISLAM- AND TO THE WOMEN OF ISLAM AND THEIR HIJAB AND NIQAB IN PARTICULAR?Journey to Jannah: I think that Muslims need to remember we will be the blessed ones on the Day of Judgment (depending on your deeds Insha Allah) and that this life is a hell for the believers and paradise for the non-believers (non-Muslims). If we react with anger and violence towards a bunch of ignorant fools who slander Allah (SWT) or Prophet Muhammad (SAW) then we are only proving what the vast masses believe-that we are a religion of violence and I'm sorry if any Muslims get upset with me at this. Martin Luther King Jr. made his followers put up peaceful protests when they were being hosed down and being sicked upon by dogs during the fight of the Civil Rights in America during the 60s. When our beloved Prophet (SAW) and his early Ummah was being kicked out of their homes and killed for refusing to go back to the pagan Arabs way of life they resisted peacefully and fled to Madina and Abyssinia. He did not strike back violently against the people who cursed him and called him a hypocrite and threw garbage at him. As for the hatred towards women and their hijab and niqab-Sisters remember that our mothers (RA) were the best of women. Mariam (RA) was the best woman of her period and Allah (SWT) chose her to bear Prophet Isa (alayhi salaam). As Muslim women and Muslim girls we should strive to follow the example of our mothers (RA), just as the men and boys need to follow the example of the Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba (RA). Sisters remember that hijab is an obligation upon you when you reach puberty and that we are told throughout the Qur'an by Allah (SWT) to follow the Apostle. Following the Apostle means following the Sahih Hadeeth. It irks me to no end knowing that there are Muslims who say "oh we don't need to follow the Sunnah" or "oh we don't need to wear hijab" or "oh we need to 'reform' Islam" astaghirfullah! Islam does not NEED to be reinforced. But the Ummah could sure do with being retaught the teachings of our religion in my opinion. We need to go back to the Qur'an and Sunnah and use those as our guide to teach the future Ummah and once again (In sha Allah) rise up to be like we used to be for 700 years before our fall. Sisters remember that you are the blessed ones Insha Allah on the Day of Judgment. We are queens and princesses and it doesn't matter what people say about us. Hold your heads up high, make sure your children are raised properly to be good little Ummah, and keep them from the haraam and bad influences of the world. Give them an education so they can help shape our future.

IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE VERSE OF THE QURAN TO A NON-MUSLIM, WHICH QURANIC VERSE DO YOU THINK WOULD REALLY LEAVE AN IMPACT ON THEM?Journey to Jannah: [14.23] And those who believe and do good are made to enter gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them by their Lord's permission; their greeting therein is, peace.

A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVEN MUSLIMS, ARE AGAINST THE VERY IDEA OF A POLYGAMOUS MARRIAGE. TELL US YOUR VIEWS IN THIS MATTER? Journey to Jannah: I am sorry but this is one thing that really gets to me. As an American Muslim woman who is one of three wives it annoys me that I as a Muslim woman and a revert can accept polygamy but born Muslim women have issues with it and threaten to divorce their husbands. Polygamy is legal in Islam. You CANNOT make something haraam that Allah (SWT) has allowed. You just can't! That is why we are mortals and Allah is Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) knows what is best for us. As one of three wives yes there is jealousy between the three of us-women are naturally jealous. But we accept polygamy as being a right of our husband and know better than to make something haraam that is halal. Are there 'men' out there who use polygamy for free sex and not for the lawful reasons allowed? Yes but if your husband is a good man who fears Allah (SWT) and can take care of more than one woman then don't be a baby and forbid him from doing so. Let me tell you sisters something. My husband had a wife before me. I knew nothing of polygamy being a new Muslim other than that the FLDS practices it. I didn't even think to research polygamy before becoming Muslim. Yes I was jealous and it took me 10 months to get used to being another wife because I was thinking with my American upbringing that polygamy is 'disgusting' and 'bad' astaghirfullah! I did a lot of thinking of the state of the world and finally saw the wisdom of why Allah (SWT) allowed it and never banned it. I went into this marriage without any second thoughts or hesitation knowing I would be my husband's second wife. *They later divorced but that's beside the point*. My husband and I used to watch Al Jazeera during the Saudi/Yemeni war. It broke my heart to see all the poor Yemeni women and children crowded into tents and dying from malnutrition. I told my husband he should go to Yemen and marry a poor Yemeni woman to save her from a life of hardship. Did it bother me that Allah (SWT) allowed polygamy for men? Yes it did. So much that I wrote a letter to my husband and a diary entry. I cried as I wrote the letter to him. But I realized I had no right to forbid what Allah (SWT) has allowed. I then put the diary and letter that was in the diary on the TV and slept on the couch. My husband woke up the next morning, read the letter and diary entry and woke me up. He said that he hated seeing me sad and if I didn't want him to marry he wouldn't do so because he would never do anything to hurt me. I suffer from Poly Cystic Ovarian Disorder. I wanted my husband to be able to have children (we have been TTC #1 for our entire marriage) and I knew that one of the reasons a man can marry again is if his wife is barren and can't give him babies. I loved my husband so much that I told him to marry another woman. He likes that about me. He says I have a big heart and am a compassionate soul and person. I cannot believe how hard it was to find a woman who would agree to be in a polygamous marriage. It took us a few months for my husband to find my husband's third wife (he and his first wife divorced last year). I tried to be nice to my husband's first wife-even making my husband buy her a present from me (that later went to my husband's fourth wife) and bought my husband's third wife a present (it's a gold necklace with a blue gem on it with matching earrings). My husband's third wife and I get along swimmingly as we have some things in common. After some issues both of us (myself and my husband's third wife) made him look for another wife (he would never have done so without our permission) and again began a long journey of finding a woman who accept polygamy. But Alhamdullilah Allah (SWT) brought my husband and his fourth wife together. Now it is the four of us, (husband, me, his third wife and fourth wife). I love my sister-wives very much and would do anything for them. Now would my husband get married again? No because I know I could not take it if he married another person. Do I resent my sister-wives? No. I ask those women who refuse to let their husband get married again. If you were in a country where your government was oppressive, you had no education because in your culture or country women didn't 'need' an education because they were seen as nothing but breeding stock, would you not want to become the wife of a man who could take care of you or would you rather suffer on the streets and be forced to prostitute yourself in order to survive? If polygamy was good enough for the Prophets (alayhi salaam) why is not good for the Ummah today? What makes those times and these times any different? Polygamy does not become 'invalid' because we (or most of us) are in the 21st century. We are not better than Allah (SWT). We are not better than the Prophets (alayhi salaam). Polygamy can work and does work if all involved are in it together. It isn’t a death sentence sisters if your husband chooses to get another wife. Would you rather him go out and commit az-zina and bring home diseases to the marriage bed? At the same time Muslim brothers polygamy is not an excuse to screw everything that moves! You are just giving into your urges and in my opinion suck as Muslim men if you don't do polygamy for the right reasons. Remember that the Prophet (SAW) was married to Lady Khadijah (RA) for all those years and then only after her death did he take all his other wives. Today and in the past there were and are women who are suffering in the world due to being unable to find a husband who will marry them. These poor women are often disabled, widowed, divorced, barren and tossed out onto the streets. These poor women are forced to become wards of the state or prostitute themselves to survive or watch their children slowly die of hunger. One reason a man can get another wife is to help the widows and orphans whose husbands/fathers are killed in war. Sisters would you not want the same thing for other women that you yourselves want? Brothers how would you feel if it was your mother or your grandmother or your sister or your aunt who was cast into the world because no decent Muslim man would marry her? And your poor sister or mother or grandmother or aunt has to prostitute herself to survive and feed herself. This brings me to another point. I am so sick of hearing about so called cultures that see divorced and widowed women as 'lepers' and refuse to marry them-preferring teenage virgins! Lady Khadijah (RA) was a WIDOW and the Prophet's (SAW) senior! Many of the Prophet's (SAW) wives (RA) were widows and divorcees! I think only Lady Aisha (RA) was the only virgin the prophet (SAW) married. Brothers if you marry a teenager that doesn't mean she'll magically pop out babies. It doesn't mean she'll be a good wife or a good mother. At the same time brothers if you practice polygamy please don't treat the wives you already have like crap because they are having trouble conceiving or are barren. That's just hurting the wives you already have. Remember that the punishment for not treating your wives fairly on the day of judgment is that you will approach Allah (SWT) with half your body paralyzed! *Rant over*

ANY SPECIAL MESSAGE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL MUSLIMS IN GENERAL?Journey to Jannah: I fully believe part of the reason we have lost Al Andalus and Palestine is because we listened to the non-Muslims who told us we were weak and fell into doing bad things. I fully believe it is our own fault and it continues to be our fault because instead of uniting under one banner like we did in the days of our glory we have scattered into tons of different stupid sects and continue to fight with ourselves like little children. As Muslims we need to be an example to the rest of our Ummah and to the world. We will never get Al Andalus back or Palestine if we continue to be divided into separate nations and sects. Remember that Sura 6 Verse 159 says to not make yourselves into sects like the Christians and the Jews. Yet we choose to ignore this verse and instead are divided. What purpose does that serve except to divide the Ummah and make us vulnerable to attack. There were no sects until after the time of the Prophet (SAW's) death. What does that say to our children and the future Ummah if we are too busy killing each other to help our suffering brothers and sisters? As Muslims we need to be an example to our children and the world. We must come together again under one banner, under the Qur'an and Sunnah and no longer be divided by nation or sect. I fully believe we would better off if we succeed at overthrowing these monarchies and dictators and elect a new caliphate. Make the entire Muslim world one country without borders where Muslims can travel without visas or passports. Only when we are once again united will we stand a chance at getting Al Andalus and Palestine back! Ummah, sisters and brothers, please remember that if we behave like animals when something doesn't go our way we are driving people from embracing Islam instead of bringing people to Islam (In sha Allah). Use the Qur'an and Sunnah as your teachers and the Prophet (SAW) and Sahaba as your guide to show the world we are not an evil religion and not people to be feared. I ask that every Muslim think about why are we so attracted to this world instead of striving towards the hereafter and why we choose to follow our own desires and become about 'me me me' instead of helping our brethren who are dying every day in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, etc. Remember that our children will look to us for guidance and follow our example. Do we really want our children to grow up in an Ummah where each Muslim only cares about their selves and doesn't care about the plight of the Ummah? If we do not change ourselves today then how can we expect our children to change the Ummah and how can be a bunch of cowards and refuse to go to the aid of our people who desperately need our help but can't get it because we're more afraid of America, Israel and their allies instead of Allah (SWT)? Sometimes I think that it would have been better to live in the time when the Muslims ruled half the world and there were no poor people than to live today because I'm sometimes ashamed to be Muslim and ashamed of the Ummah for being so concerned about this world instead of our dying brothers and sisters who cry for help and who seem to care only about this world instead of fearing Allah (SWT) and striving towards Jannah.

HAS ANYONE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE CHANGE IN YOU AFTER ACCEPTING ISLAM?Journey to Jannah: No sadly. I think most people think I'm an extremist because I believe it is fard to wear the niqab and do my best to follow the Sahih Hadeeth as well as the Qur'an.

WHAT DO YOU REALLY WISH AND PRAY FOR?Journey to Jannah: I wish for the Ummah to get their act together and unite into one country again, one great empire and help take back Palestine and Al Andalus. I wish and pray that Palestine becomes free from Zionists/American control and that the Ummah can come together and bring about great changes for the world. I wish and pray for a second great Islamic Golden Age when there are no poor people anywhere and everyone flocks to Al Andalus for knowledge. But sadly I will never be around to see that. I wish I could build a time machine so I could go back and walk those streets of our kingdom Granada and walk the roads of our great empire when Muslims were smart and cared about others and feared Allah (SWT).

ANY SPECIAL DU'AA YOU WOULD REQUEST THE READERS TO MAKE FOR YOU?Journey to Jannah: Not for me. I do wish the Ummah would pray for Palestine, for Syria and the rest of our Arab brothers and sisters who are in civil wars to topple their corrupt non-Islamic governments. I wish for the Ummah to think about what I said in this interview and imagine themselves going through the situations our brethren are going through. I wish for the Ummah to pray for great leaders to rise up and there be another great Ummah, another great Islamic Empire that is another shining light on the world. For if we fail to unite then we will be destroyed and our teachings forgotten. I do not want the Ummah to be destroyed or Islam to be snuffed out from the world.

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I did ask if Journey to Jannah wanted the reader to make any Du'aa for her, but she wanted nothing for her- only for the Ummah. Subhanallah! But anyway, do remember her in your Du'aas. She really has put in a lot of effort into answering the questions, and she did it super fast too, MashaAllah! I'm sure all of you would have learnt a lot from the interview, so please make Du'aa for her and her family. May Allah bless her with the best in this world and in the Aakhira too, In sha Allah!Jazakallah khair for the interview sis! Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed every single bit of it! May Allah reward you for it!

Note: If any other Muslim bloggers (sisters only) want to be interviewed, please contact us through niqablovers@gmail.com

Masha'Allah! I really enjoyed reading this. As a 1 year convert to Islam, I could definitely relate to so much you said here. Especially with how your had to deal with things at home once you converted with your family and all the stress of just trying to learn to pray and trying to pray alone in your room without someone coming in and you have to break it. I've totally been through all of this. May Allah reward you for all you have been through in the name of Islam. You're a very strong girl. I also admire that you are able to accept polygamy. You're right, a lot of girls seem to really struggle with the idea of that one. I did myself too when I first converted. But when I realized that Polygamy is allowed in Islam and the Prophet (SAW) practiced this himself, I realized who am I to ever even have thoughts against polygamy? Allah has made this halal so I have to accept this fact. My husband doesn't have any other wives, but it's important that all Muslim women are able to accept that polygamy is permissible, even if their husband never marries again, it needs to be accepted I agree with you.

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu sis!I agree totally. If there's ones thing that really change me in this interview, it was my viewpoint on polygamy. Alhamdulillah for that!Also sis, I read your blog and the posts on how some Muslim women treat you. I'm really sorry for that. Sometimes, what hurts the most is when Muslims themselves don't understand other Muslims. May Allah give you strength to cope with it all!

Assalamualaikum. wonderful interview sister. I really do believe that even some born Muslim have trouble with their faith because they were not given proper education about Islam when they were small hence they journey in seeking their faith could be akin to reverts...

Assalamu'alaykum, this is such an amazing interview. It's just an indescribable feeling, and I am so proud of her and all the other sisters who are brave enough to practice living in the west and trying so hard, to do so for the sake of Allah SWT. I'll definitely share this with other sisters. JazaakAllah khair, and I'll include you in my dua'as too, just as I make dua'a for everyone. May the best blessings be upon you and all of us. May Allah guide us, protect us, In Sha Allah. Aameen :)